Owned by the same family since 1957, the 3,359± deeded acre High Timber Ranch is located outside of Chama, New Mexico, in the San Juan Mountain Range. This diverse holding sits 11 miles east of the community of Tierra Amarilla and combines premium land and numerous water resources with big views and quality improvements, with ownership enjoyable and uncomplicated by design.
Expansive and diverse, the property rises from a cottonwood-lined trout stream to broad benches and mountain slopes with a mosaic of open parks, meadows, ponds, aspen groves, and vast stands of blue spruce and Douglas fir. This outstanding habitat is home to large populations of elk, mule deer, Merriam’s turkey, black bear, grouse, and a host of songbirds, raptors, and other small wildlife. Native cutthroat trout inhabit the upper reaches of the three and a half miles of Rito de Tierra Amarilla that courses through the property as well as two miles of a tributary stream. Sited in New Mexico’s famed Game Unit (GMU) 4 and enrolled in the Private Land Elk License (E-Plus) program, the ranch has historically received 11 rifle bull elk, seven either-sex archery, and eight cow elk authorizations from the State each year. Private land only deer licenses are also easily obtainable by utilizing the ranch’s designated authorization code and applying through an application process. In addition to its hunting and angling, the property is well-suited for limitless recreational activities, including horseback riding, hiking, ATV-ing, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing. High Timber is well-grassed with mountain brome, native bluestem, as well as some timothy and clovers. Ownership balances livestock grazing with the needs of wildlife and conservatively stocks the ranch with up to 120 cow/calf pairs or 600 yearlings during the summer season. The property is perimeter fenced with lay-down fencing and internally fenced into two primary pastures with two smaller traps. Shipping pens are well located near the entrance.
This outstanding ranch is tastefully complemented with an attractive off-grid log owner’s cabin and smaller guest cabin. Year-round access is via paved highway and a series of private internal roads and trails provide access throughout the property. Offered in cooperation with David Dougherty of Dougherty Real Estate CO, LLC.
Pulling off of the paved highway and through the gate at the western end of the ranch, one drops down and into the valley floor of the Rito de Tierra Amarilla (Tierra Amarilla Creek). Here, the elevation is at 8,600 feet and the topography easy with open meadows and mountain cottonwood stands lining the cool waters of the Rito de Tierra Amarilla – which harbors native cutthroat trout. Elevations gradually rise in a series of rolling ridges and benches as one heads east along the private internal ranch road. These ridges and benches are interspersed with aspen groves, patches of Douglas fir, and broad meadows that are well-grassed with mountain brome, native bluestem, timothy and clovers. The primary ranch road leads to the owner’s cabin, which sits within an open meadow ringed by stands of aspen. From the cabin, it becomes apparent that High Timber Ranch occupies a large basin intersected by two primary drainages that run east to west. Elevations rise to the north of the cabin into more mountainous slopes forested with dense stands of blue spruce and Douglas fir. Small springs and seeps are found throughout the property along with ponds and a number of earthen tanks. The Rito de Tierra Amarilla and its smaller tributary stream source rich riparian corridors that run the width of the ranch.
The more heavily forested conifer stands are interspersed with aspen groves and mountain meadows carpeted with grass and wildflowers – providing a surprising amount of usable terrain with exceptional mountain valley floor vistas. Highway 64 separates the upper ranch from the lower ranch with roughly four and a half miles of frontage that provides excellent private points of access to numerous locations of the property. Elevations along the northern property line run between 10,000 and 10,400 feet and the property is ringed by timbered mountain slopes to the north, south, and east. From the upper areas of the ranch one can take in the long views of the basin as it falls in elevation and broadens as it runs west to its confluence with the Chama River Basin below – beyond which, lie the painted cliffs and bluffs of the San Juan Basin.
High Timber Ranch provides a distinct mountain setting that is private and pristine, yet uniquely located within a short distance of amenities and some of the Southwest’s most significant artistic and cultural destinations. This well-rounded offering combines premium land and numerous water resources with big views, abundant wildlife, and quality improvements. High Timber is ideal for both agricultural and recreational uses, with ownership enjoyable and uncomplicated by design.
Tucked away in northern New Mexico’s gorgeous mountain country, High Timber Ranch enjoys a distinct location that is private yet within easy striking distance of some of the Southwest’s most significant artistic and cultural destinations. High Timber Ranch sits eleven paved miles east of the community of Tierra Amarilla, in Rio Arriba County. The town of Chama is less than 25-paved miles to the north of the ranch and the Colorado state line sits roughly seven and one- half miles to the north of Chama. Georgia O’Keefe’s Ghost Ranch is a 30-minute drive south from Tierra Amarilla. Santa Fe is an additional one-hour and 10-minute drive to the south of Tierra Amarilla via one of the most scenic drives New Mexico has to offer. Taos is a one-hour and 15-minute drive to the east of the ranch via Highway 64 – also a scenic drive. From the ranch, it is less than three hours to Albuquerque and the Albuquerque International Sunport.
Adjacent to other large and privately held lands, the ranch is a short drive from the Chama River and Herron Lake State Park which includes Herron Lake and El Vado Reservoir. The Carson National Forest is a few paved miles up the road to the east and the Jicarilla Apache Reservation is less than twenty miles to the west.
Driving time to Pagosa Springs, Colorado and the Stevens Field FBO is 1 hour and 20 minutes from the ranch gate. The Stevens Field Airport offers an 8,100 X 100-foot runway capable of landing larger private aircraft as well as updated FBO facilities providing a full range of services and amenities. The Wolf Creek Ski Area is located a few minutes outside of Pagosa Springs. Durango, Colorado and the Durango-La Plata Airport with commercial air service are an additional one hour and 15-minute drive to the west of Pagosa Springs.
The southeasternmost portion of the greater San Juan Mountain Range dips down and into northern New Mexico. Relatively undiscovered, this part of the greater San Juan Range is comprised of the Tusas Mountain Range, which provides a lush mountain slope and verdant river valley setting that is what one would expect to find in Colorado – views are dominated by rugged peaks, mountains slopes comprised of a mosaic of aspen and pine forests, as well as the giant ponderosas rising above the cottonwood-lined river and stream bottoms below. High Timber Ranch sits along the western slope of the Tusas Range in what are also known as the Brazos Mountains. The headwaters of countless tributary streams and creeks emanate from the slopes of the Brazos Mountains where they drain west and into the Rio Chama (or Chama River). From its headwaters just a few miles to the north in Colorado, the trout-laden Rio Chama continues south for nearly 130 miles to its eventual confluence with the Rio Grande.
The primary communities in the Chama Valley are Tierra Amarilla and Chama – both of which have long enjoyed a strong ranching and agriculture-based culture. As such, the area is controlled by large private holdings, smaller ranches, and expansive tracts of state and federal lands. Thanks to its mountain location and limitless recreational opportunities, the Chama Valley has also quietly gained notoriety as a four-season mountain destination. An historic 1880s railroad town, Chama is home to the Cumbres & Toltec narrow-gauge railroad which provides scenic train rides through the mountains of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado via a historic coal-fired steam engine. In addition to the year-round recreational opportunities, Tierra Amarilla, Chama, and the greater Chama Valley have become a locale where hunters from around the world to pursue trophy elk and mule deer in what is arguably some of the best game habitat imaginable.
Located at an elevation ranging between 8,600 feet and 10,400 feet and receiving an average of nearly 300 days of sunshine, the ranch enjoys an alpine climate. Summertime temperatures reach into the high 70’s and mid 80’s, while average daytime winter temperatures typically range between the 30’s to mid 40’s. The average snowfall is nearly 120 inches, with annual precipitation over 22 inches.
Rising just beyond the northwestern corner of the ranch is Penasco Amarillo, which stands at 10,712 feet above sea level. The eastern backdrop is the “Cat’s Paw” and other unnamed and heavily timbered mountain slopes that top out at over 10,000 feet in elevation.
OWNER’S CABIN
Privately located at the heart of the property is the 1,600± square foot owner’s cabin. This contemporary log home is off-grid and situated within a series of open parks ringed by mature aspen and pines. This location is such that one can take in views of the surrounding basin from within the home or from any point on the wrap-around deck. The tastefully finished interior is warm and well-suited for both private and future commercial use. A master bedroom with attached private bath is complemented by a smaller bedroom and additional bathroom. The large kitchen opens to an open living room that features vaulted ceilings, a large rock fireplace, dining and seating areas, and doors opening to the wrap-around deck. Though off-grid, electricity is provided by the simple flip of a switch that fires up the on-demand, 20K propane generator. Water is also provided via a developed spring that sits to the north.
GUEST CABIN
The 500± square foot guest cabin is located at the western end of the ranch and above the Rito de Tierra Amarilla. This modest, two-bedroom building will be enjoyed as a western-styled guest retreat or as housing for employees or lessees associated with hunting or cattle operations.
The primary water resource is the Rito de Tierra Amarilla, which a medium to high gradient stream that courses through the property for nearly three and a half miles. An additional small tributary stream adds an additional two miles of year-round flows. Native cutthroat are found at the easternmost reaches of the Rito de Tierra Amarilla and the tributary stream and can be easily caught by fishing pocket water and pools with small dry flies and nymphs. The ranch is well-watered with two larger ponds, seven dirt tanks, natural springs and ponds, as well as smaller ephemeral creeks found throughout. Developed springs provide water to both the owners and guest cabins.
There are no mineral rights to convey to a new owner and as such, minerals will not transfer with the sale of the property. It is understood that the High Timber Ranch is located within a zone of restrictive land-use regulations where mineral development is rendered impractical.
A diversity of wildlife is found throughout High Timber Ranch, including elk, mule deer, Merriam’s turkey, black bear, grouse, waterfowl, songbirds, and raptors. The rich habitat and protected nature of the property, along with its location and abundant water resources, serve to attract large numbers of elk and deer, especially to the meadows and parks founds throughout. In addition to the destination itself, there are countless nearby locations for wildlife viewing throughout the year. For the hunter, some of the best big game hunting in the Southwestern United States is located here, in the lands surrounding the communities of Chama and Tierra Amarilla.
Sited in New Mexico’s famed Game Unit (GMU) 4 and enrolled in the Private Land Elk License (E-Plus) program, the ranch has historically received 11 rifle bull elk, seven either-sex archery, and eight cow elk authorizations from the State each year. Private land only deer licenses are also easily obtainable by utilizing the ranch’s designated authorization code and applying through an application process. An outfitter leases the hunting rights to High Timber Ranch and reports high rates of success for elk during the archery and rifle seasons. Large numbers of elk are found on the ranch throughout spring, summer, and fall. Herd numbers swell during the September rut and continue to grow as snows in the high country push additional animals down and onto the ranch. A new landowner and their family and friends will be able to easily obtain hunting licenses and hunt the ranch every year. Just as easily, a new landowner may prefer to stop all hunting and instead create a safe haven habitat for all wildlife.
In addition to its hunting, High Timber is ideal for those interested in hiking, horseback riding, or mountain biking on the private internal trails. The ranch’s large meadows and trails would also be ideal for those interested in snowmobiling and cross-country skiing during the winter months. The nearby town of Chama has also quietly gained stature as a four-season mountain destination with hiking, angling, trail rides, snowmobiling, and proximity to skiing at the Wolf Creek Ski Area. Chama is also home to the Cumbres & Toltec historic coal-fired steam engine, which provides scenic train rides through the mountains of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. The lakes and public lands within close proximity to High Timber are also popular with those seeking to recreate within close range of Santa Fe or escape the crowds found in Colorado.
The aesthetic and recreational attributes of the ranch are augmented by its cattle grazing and hunting operations – both of which have been leased to long-term lessees on an annual basis. Ownership balances livestock grazing with the needs of wildlife and conservatively limits stocking of the ranch to 120 cow/calf pairs or 600 yearlings during the summer season. The property is perimeter fenced with lay-down fencing and internally fenced into two primary pastures with two smaller traps. Shipping pens with easy highway access are located near the primary entrance. The hunting and grazing leaseholders have both been in place for a significant period of time and would be interested in keeping on with a new landowner. In 2020, the leases will generate a total of $49,000.00 in income, with $34,000.00 attributed to the hunting lease and $15,000.00 to grazing.
